So I read a book recently called 'Aurora,' by Kim Stanley Robinson (I think I've spelled that correctly).
It's sci-fi, so if you don't like that genre you can move along.
It's also about an ark, a generation ship travelling through space.
It's pretty good.
The premise is the usual, humanity expanding towards the stars. The difference is that this isn't an omnipotent ship, the settlers aren't living inside a God like in so many other stories. Their home is breaking down, as are their bodies at the genetic level.
There's no real explanation for why humanity is failing onboard (genetic deviation is the official cause) but it results in an interesting problem - humanity struggling to move beyond our own system. This is in direct opposition to almost all other sci-fi where our destiny is to move beyond Earth. It sets up an interesting situation, and one that almost works throughout.
The problem I have with this book is the main character. She is said and proven to be rather less intelligent than the previous generation of travelers, and this manifests in her being unable to help fix the ship at all. She's so stupid that she can't do anything mechanical, theoretical or physical at all. Instead, she's demoted to being a pep talker, keeping morale high. It might not sound like a big deal written here, but the tonal shift from technical sci-fi to moralising parable is one that's not handled particularly well. It only worsens towards the end of the book as it finds new ways to preach.
And that's my summation of the book. It starts incredibly strong, when the main character is essentially retelling the story of another character, and then it goes downhill from there.
It's worth a read if you like this author and the style, or if you like dour (some might say, non-fantastical and entirely realistic) fiction in general. Or if you're a baby and like to be preached at. If not, I'd suggest avoiding it.
Showing posts with label science fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label science fiction. Show all posts
Tuesday, 13 October 2015
Wednesday, 19 August 2015
Interstellar Gravity
This is being written on a phone so the Formatting won't allow me to see what I'm typing. This will probably end horribly garbled but I might just leave it that way, forever a sign of how far we still have to go in terms of phone UI design.
Anyway, I watched 2 movies today, Interstellar and Gravity.
Both are surprisingly good films in their own way, but both suffered from not knowing how to end. Either film could win worst ending oscar, should that become an award in the future.
So I watched Interstellar first, but let's start with Gravity.
From the way it is filmed I guessed it was a late 3D offering and upon post viewing research I was right. There are a lot of shots of things flying towards the camera and objects careening past in the foreground, middle and background. Every 3D film ever made has the same effects, and it's this chronic lack of imagination that caused the doom of 3D cinema. Anyway, I remember the effects being heralded as revolutionary back when this came out.
They are. But only in one sense. For the past decade and a half filmmakers have been obsessed with Blair Witch style shaky cam, the vomit inducing action camera that's supposed to mimic the action of a real head reacting to the scene in front of him, or at the very least a camera down in the dirt where the real stuff is happening.
It's a stupid premise that doesn't work and always requires an even greater effort of suspension of disbelief because the accompanying motions aren't there (shaking seat, craning neck etc) and the screen isn't all encompassing, so only a part of your vision is experiencing the effect. It is always stupid nd very rarely works.
Stop it. Directors, stop it.
Anyway, this is an action film with very little shaky cam. Maybe the tides are turning? I fear it's just the space setting as there are dozens of shots where the view is as it would be were the viewer the actor (sandra bullock? She looked familiar).
Also there is a warning at the beginning that sound does not travel in space which is so pathetic and. pandering it was almost a deal breaker. I nearly turned it off at this point. I wonder if my version was just the american releasd and all non-american versions did away with that part.
The galling, fucking ridiculous part was that after 5 minutes the debris i space WAS MAKING NOISE AS IT WHIPPED PAST.
For fucks sake the director is an idiot.
Also, 95pc of the film is CG, from the stations to the actors bodids whenever they're suited up. After only 2 years it already looks bad. One of the indoor scenes looked like they lifted it out of a demo for unreal engine 4.
The negatives aside , and don't get me wrong, those negatives are glaring whwn I write them down, it's still a good film worth watching. The actors do their jobs, the pacing keeps motivation up and its incredible brevity mean nothing outstays any welcomes. You can turn it off 10 minutes before the finish, end on a cliffhanger and actully give yourself a better overall experience. When they remember their ow in universe rules the sound is superb, the visuals of earth as seen from space gave me the chills I get from NASA pictures and there are several scenes where insignificance comes into play like no other film.
Interstellar is a completely different fish. It's a much better film and almost competes as a spectacle too. The problems come when you look at the chronic lack of science that went into this thing. And the ending. For Christs sake the ending.
When you talk about a future where Earth is no longer habitable it's always somehow man-caused volcanoes or man-made ice ages but this film steers clear of that by suggesting massive desertification of the american corn belt, and by extension the food producing regions of the world. Okay movie maker man, one point there because that's something that's demonstrably happening now.
They also cite virulent blights, presumably from intensive single strain farming. Fine, disease is a constant threat in modern literature.
Then they describe all the major crops simply ceasing to grow. Erm.
Okay? If this is what gets us into space then fine.
But then over the course of 2 further hours and several tangents the dxplanations start rolling in.
And then minus 90 million billion minus points. No. Black holes do not work like that. Fine, if you want a convenient device for doing things then have a hole in space, just don't invoke black hole. Call it something else. Anything else. By the ending my brain was bleeding out of my ears from the stupidity.
Look, I get it. This isn't actually a sciemce fiction film. I understand that it's just a meditation on family, how relationships change awgrowes older and our responsibilities shaping who we are and become - but if that's your thinly veiled premise then don't dress something up in the realm of science when it's actually mysticism. When you have a population that needs reminding that there is no air in space then I wonder how much the science matters in the first place. Make it batshit crazy with giant robots, or keep a grounding in reality. This half and half, increasingly ridiculous universe is so contrived it's painful.
That aside, some surprisingly well acted child characters top off a great cast. It's a top notch production in that regard.
The sound is superb. The soundtrack is also excellent.
The effects are good, the space scenes echo gravity in a way that makes me think the director liked it. There's a new bar for representing space, these films are currently top notch in that regard.
The secret show stealers are the robots. They're horribly designed in a modern take on the old immobile droids from years past (think r2, or c3po, or even the daleks) but they have so much personality. The human ability to ascribe meaning and emotion to objects is incredible, and the form of these guys plays into that brilliantly. They are menacing, endearing, bold and subtle all at once. And horribly ill conceived for actual spaceflight.
I love it when a director tinkers with expectations, and these droids provide all kinds of tension throughout.
The ending is inexcusable. From the fake spiritualism (why change tone fully 5/6ths of the way in?) to the ridiculous and sappy ending. Pathetic.
The symbolism of him forging his own path in the face of familial responsibilities, and him rediscovering himself and his meaning is cool I guess?
No, that's a lie . The final 20 minutes or so are some of the worst in cinematic history. The gulf between highs and lows are so monumental it boggles the mind to think that anyone let the final scenes out of the door.
Despite that I still recommend it. Both of them in fact. Go watch them!
My whole body hurts from typing this out on a phone. I dare not go back and read it all.
Anyway, I watched 2 movies today, Interstellar and Gravity.
Both are surprisingly good films in their own way, but both suffered from not knowing how to end. Either film could win worst ending oscar, should that become an award in the future.
So I watched Interstellar first, but let's start with Gravity.
From the way it is filmed I guessed it was a late 3D offering and upon post viewing research I was right. There are a lot of shots of things flying towards the camera and objects careening past in the foreground, middle and background. Every 3D film ever made has the same effects, and it's this chronic lack of imagination that caused the doom of 3D cinema. Anyway, I remember the effects being heralded as revolutionary back when this came out.
They are. But only in one sense. For the past decade and a half filmmakers have been obsessed with Blair Witch style shaky cam, the vomit inducing action camera that's supposed to mimic the action of a real head reacting to the scene in front of him, or at the very least a camera down in the dirt where the real stuff is happening.
It's a stupid premise that doesn't work and always requires an even greater effort of suspension of disbelief because the accompanying motions aren't there (shaking seat, craning neck etc) and the screen isn't all encompassing, so only a part of your vision is experiencing the effect. It is always stupid nd very rarely works.
Stop it. Directors, stop it.
Anyway, this is an action film with very little shaky cam. Maybe the tides are turning? I fear it's just the space setting as there are dozens of shots where the view is as it would be were the viewer the actor (sandra bullock? She looked familiar).
Also there is a warning at the beginning that sound does not travel in space which is so pathetic and. pandering it was almost a deal breaker. I nearly turned it off at this point. I wonder if my version was just the american releasd and all non-american versions did away with that part.
The galling, fucking ridiculous part was that after 5 minutes the debris i space WAS MAKING NOISE AS IT WHIPPED PAST.
For fucks sake the director is an idiot.
Also, 95pc of the film is CG, from the stations to the actors bodids whenever they're suited up. After only 2 years it already looks bad. One of the indoor scenes looked like they lifted it out of a demo for unreal engine 4.
The negatives aside , and don't get me wrong, those negatives are glaring whwn I write them down, it's still a good film worth watching. The actors do their jobs, the pacing keeps motivation up and its incredible brevity mean nothing outstays any welcomes. You can turn it off 10 minutes before the finish, end on a cliffhanger and actully give yourself a better overall experience. When they remember their ow in universe rules the sound is superb, the visuals of earth as seen from space gave me the chills I get from NASA pictures and there are several scenes where insignificance comes into play like no other film.
Interstellar is a completely different fish. It's a much better film and almost competes as a spectacle too. The problems come when you look at the chronic lack of science that went into this thing. And the ending. For Christs sake the ending.
When you talk about a future where Earth is no longer habitable it's always somehow man-caused volcanoes or man-made ice ages but this film steers clear of that by suggesting massive desertification of the american corn belt, and by extension the food producing regions of the world. Okay movie maker man, one point there because that's something that's demonstrably happening now.
They also cite virulent blights, presumably from intensive single strain farming. Fine, disease is a constant threat in modern literature.
Then they describe all the major crops simply ceasing to grow. Erm.
Okay? If this is what gets us into space then fine.
But then over the course of 2 further hours and several tangents the dxplanations start rolling in.
And then minus 90 million billion minus points. No. Black holes do not work like that. Fine, if you want a convenient device for doing things then have a hole in space, just don't invoke black hole. Call it something else. Anything else. By the ending my brain was bleeding out of my ears from the stupidity.
Look, I get it. This isn't actually a sciemce fiction film. I understand that it's just a meditation on family, how relationships change awgrowes older and our responsibilities shaping who we are and become - but if that's your thinly veiled premise then don't dress something up in the realm of science when it's actually mysticism. When you have a population that needs reminding that there is no air in space then I wonder how much the science matters in the first place. Make it batshit crazy with giant robots, or keep a grounding in reality. This half and half, increasingly ridiculous universe is so contrived it's painful.
That aside, some surprisingly well acted child characters top off a great cast. It's a top notch production in that regard.
The sound is superb. The soundtrack is also excellent.
The effects are good, the space scenes echo gravity in a way that makes me think the director liked it. There's a new bar for representing space, these films are currently top notch in that regard.
The secret show stealers are the robots. They're horribly designed in a modern take on the old immobile droids from years past (think r2, or c3po, or even the daleks) but they have so much personality. The human ability to ascribe meaning and emotion to objects is incredible, and the form of these guys plays into that brilliantly. They are menacing, endearing, bold and subtle all at once. And horribly ill conceived for actual spaceflight.
I love it when a director tinkers with expectations, and these droids provide all kinds of tension throughout.
The ending is inexcusable. From the fake spiritualism (why change tone fully 5/6ths of the way in?) to the ridiculous and sappy ending. Pathetic.
The symbolism of him forging his own path in the face of familial responsibilities, and him rediscovering himself and his meaning is cool I guess?
No, that's a lie . The final 20 minutes or so are some of the worst in cinematic history. The gulf between highs and lows are so monumental it boggles the mind to think that anyone let the final scenes out of the door.
Despite that I still recommend it. Both of them in fact. Go watch them!
My whole body hurts from typing this out on a phone. I dare not go back and read it all.
Wednesday, 21 January 2015
Revelation Space
So Revelation Space is a book that establishes the universe in which the similarly titled anthology is set. I bought a digital copy of the collection which is well worth the asking price (if you can find it anywhere!) - I would guess it contains around a million words (no counting was done to verify this), most of which are worth reading.
The universe is well realised, which isn't surprising considering the breadth of work available in the collection, but it establishes itself with authority, it feels obvious that there is a plan in action and you are welcome to join in despite the obvious lack of a stated direction at the beginning.
The singular style ensures that once you've read and enjoyed the first, you are almost guaranteed to like the subsequent additions. This also helps when jumping between time zones within the fiction itself as any character vagaries or lack of environmental definition are intentional, and importantly, known to be intentional by all involved. Trust between author and reader is important in all work, doubly so in science fiction because both parties work together with the express aim of building into an unknown space; more so again in hard sci-fi because everything is set within the realms of current human understanding. There are no warp engines with which story can be progressed, nor are there magical powers with which the day can be saved. Any incongruity is a potentially insurmountable hurdle.
The pure 'future,' science is interesting enough, but the applications of current thinking are the most intriguing parts. The melding (that's a pun, for those who might have read it) of the human and technological is well conceived, especially the use of the animal kingdom. Other topics such as immortality and epidemic are less well handled, purely because these particular tropes are somewhat tired. That isn't to say they're not interesting as applied to this universe, more that they take longer to reach virgin territory than, for example, the characterisation of the ships.
The plots within the collection stand alone despite sharing familiar characters and locations. They are interwoven in interesting and unexpected ways, tending to shy from direct character sequels and taking a much longer term view of the universe than books in other genres. While this approach is fairly standard for science fiction due to the mind boggling distances and time-spans space encompasses, it is still pleasing enough to see a nod and wink to former books and characters. They are, however, somewhat blunt. Instead of writing around interactions the author has chosen to outright include these ties without any allusion or mystery. This is a bonus if you're not looking to add your own flavour, less so if you don't require everything spelled out.
Loss of humanity or the evolution of humanity is another well worn road that is tackled in particular detail within this compilation. All the books think about the nature of a humanity capable of self modification with an interesting mix of interpretations in the manifold forms this might take. This is one of the draws of this series, and I won't say much, except that the outcomes are fairly standard if you have read any genre books in the past - but the characters and characterisations are superb despite the obviousness of their foundations.
There are precious few books that truly innovate, that bring new ideas into the mainstream. This is not one of those innovators, but what it does show is that tropes handled by less skilled writers are still valid in the hands of the more adept, and this author is most certainly among the adept.
The Revelation Space collection is not a transformative work, it is an excellent evolution of worn ideas.
The universe is well realised, which isn't surprising considering the breadth of work available in the collection, but it establishes itself with authority, it feels obvious that there is a plan in action and you are welcome to join in despite the obvious lack of a stated direction at the beginning.
The singular style ensures that once you've read and enjoyed the first, you are almost guaranteed to like the subsequent additions. This also helps when jumping between time zones within the fiction itself as any character vagaries or lack of environmental definition are intentional, and importantly, known to be intentional by all involved. Trust between author and reader is important in all work, doubly so in science fiction because both parties work together with the express aim of building into an unknown space; more so again in hard sci-fi because everything is set within the realms of current human understanding. There are no warp engines with which story can be progressed, nor are there magical powers with which the day can be saved. Any incongruity is a potentially insurmountable hurdle.
The pure 'future,' science is interesting enough, but the applications of current thinking are the most intriguing parts. The melding (that's a pun, for those who might have read it) of the human and technological is well conceived, especially the use of the animal kingdom. Other topics such as immortality and epidemic are less well handled, purely because these particular tropes are somewhat tired. That isn't to say they're not interesting as applied to this universe, more that they take longer to reach virgin territory than, for example, the characterisation of the ships.
The plots within the collection stand alone despite sharing familiar characters and locations. They are interwoven in interesting and unexpected ways, tending to shy from direct character sequels and taking a much longer term view of the universe than books in other genres. While this approach is fairly standard for science fiction due to the mind boggling distances and time-spans space encompasses, it is still pleasing enough to see a nod and wink to former books and characters. They are, however, somewhat blunt. Instead of writing around interactions the author has chosen to outright include these ties without any allusion or mystery. This is a bonus if you're not looking to add your own flavour, less so if you don't require everything spelled out.
Loss of humanity or the evolution of humanity is another well worn road that is tackled in particular detail within this compilation. All the books think about the nature of a humanity capable of self modification with an interesting mix of interpretations in the manifold forms this might take. This is one of the draws of this series, and I won't say much, except that the outcomes are fairly standard if you have read any genre books in the past - but the characters and characterisations are superb despite the obviousness of their foundations.
There are precious few books that truly innovate, that bring new ideas into the mainstream. This is not one of those innovators, but what it does show is that tropes handled by less skilled writers are still valid in the hands of the more adept, and this author is most certainly among the adept.
The Revelation Space collection is not a transformative work, it is an excellent evolution of worn ideas.
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